Conventional nursing bottles include a nipple which is removably mounted in a cap which may be threaded onto the nursing bottle. The bottle may be filled with any desired liquid, and then the cap and nipple are threaded onto the bottle and the bottle is given to the baby.
It is common for a baby to drink less than the total amount of liquid in the bottle, but continue to use the nipple on the nursing bottle as a pacifier. The main problem with this activity is that the use of the nursing bottle nipple as a pacifier results in the baby swallowing excessive amounts of air. Excessive air swallowing frequently causes areophagia, the basic cause of colic.
To minimize this possibility, the nursing bottle should be taken from the baby once the baby has stopped feeding and should be replaced with a pacifier or the like which will not allow the baby to swallow air. Unfortunately, it is typically difficult to immediately replace the nursing bottle with a pacifier, thereby agitating the baby and causing a commotion. A similar situation occurs if the baby is still hungry and the nursing bottle is empty.
Additionally, a baby will often fall asleep with a nursing bottle resting in its mouth. When an attempt is made to remove the nursing bottle, the baby is disturbed and the sleep pattern is broken.
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a nursing bottle with a combination nipple and pacifier.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cap for a nursing bottle which allows the bottle to be removed from the cap without having to remove the nipple from the baby's mouth.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a nursing bottle with a removable cap which prevents the flow of air through the nipple when the bottle is removed from the cap.
Yet another object is to provide an improved nursing bottle with a removable pacifier portion, and a valve which prevents the flow of liquid from the bottle when removed from the pacifier portion.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a nursing bottle with a removable pacifier portion, the pacifier portion having a valve which will prevent the flow of air therethrough when removed from the nursing bottle.
These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.